Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-08
EDUCATIONAL.
Can Training Schools be so Conducted as
to Prove Benefit to Children.
Public Opinion on Prominent Educationa
Topics From Various Sources.
THE TRAINING SCHOOL.


ties, with their needs, and with the
means of supplying their needs. A
aiming school is place for the study
not only of that upon which and with
which the teacher works, but it is EN-.
phatically place where one learns
how to bring the two into proper rela.
ton, learns how to adapt means tc
ends, to reduce theory to practice
learns technique. A training school is
technical school.
One who aspires to be trainer OF
colts must comeinto actual, not theor.
etical, relations with colts; one who
aspires to be trainer of children, J..
e. teacher, must come into actual re-
lations with children; hence the neces-
sity for practice, or training schools.
Roughly speaking, the thousands OF
district schools scattered over our land
are training schools to the youths and
maidens who there try their fresh
hands at new work; but it is conceded
that this kind of unsuperintended
training school is expensive in time,
experience and discipline, to teacher
and pupil. For the sake of both par
ties there should be superintendent
training schools.
But what of the poor children in
these schoolsp Must they not suffer
at the hands of the inexperienced and
the ignorantp Yes, to an extent. The
comparatively few suffer, that the
many may, in the future, be far better
instructed by teachers prepared in
training schools. These schools are a
necessity, attended, to be sure, by the
great danger that th pupils expert
mented upon may fare hard.
Do they always fare hard? For a
score of years | have been directly
connected with, or have had intimate
| knowledge of training schools, and
while the instruction has never been
as good as in the very best schools,
the pupils have been better taught
than the majority of children in our
graded schools. The yearly examina-
tons have proved that the "practice
children" have progressed as far and
have done as thorough work as those
instructed by regular teachers, that
they observe more keenly and express
themselves more fuently. Often
classes promoted from regular teach
ers to the classesin the training school
have not been so far advanced in their
studies, have not been so generally in
telligent, nor SO alert, as the children
in the training schools. Furthermore,
Intelligent parents have been anxious
to avail themselves of the advantages
of these schools, and they have some
times changed their residence in order
to be in the practice school wards.
My experience warrants me in say
ing That training schools can be SO con-
Quoted as to benefit the pupils in them.
believe compliance with the follow
ing regulations will always secure this
end:
l. The departments which together
constitute the training school should
be superintendent by a person possess
ing good culture, broad ideas of educa-
ton, fine powers of generalization,
and equally as fine skill in attending
to details. She should be able to
teach and to criticise; she should COM
bine the utmost frmness with the
utmost geniality; she should be able to
read human nature and to sympathize
with its various phases. Since no one
person is likely to possess all these
qualities, there should be several
superintendents, each one strong
along her own line,-aii forming an
ideal corps. The greater the number
of fine teachers with which teachers in
training come in contact, the better,
for thus are they saved from one
idead-ness; thus may they learn that
many roads lead to Rome.
2. Before being given the task OF
foe oh tr4aif in ~
for teachers should have good educa-
ton. They should know the elements
of Psychology, should observe children
while at play and while receiving
lessons from skilled and unskilled
teachers. These lessons should be
discussed in all their bearings. A
generous amount of seeing how
best to do their work should precede
the effort to teach.
8. The apprentice teacher should
have a room to herself, "a little school
house,-in which to teach her class.
Here she should learn the art of keep
| ing her room neat, cheerful, healthful,
attractive; all it's arrangements should
be under her eye,-subject, of course
to the over-eyes of the superintendent.
f. The classes taught should be
small, from twelve to twenty.
5. The apprentice should be kept
with one class long enough to under
| stand it, long enough to conquer the
difficulties it presents Gf she have con-
| quering power). Eight or ten weeks
are not too long to test and develop the
power of the apprentice.
g. The time. strength, and interest
of the apprentice should not be di-
vided between academic work and
teaching. All in her should be con-
centrated on the children and her work
/ with them.
z. The apprentice teachers should
| be responsible for results with their
classes,-for general and for specific
results, for development and for drill
s. Grave matters ofdiscipline should
be intrusted not to teachers in traip
ing, but to the superior; but the means
of discipline employed ought to be
communicated to the apprentice.
9. Certain branches should be taught
by the superintendent in order that
the teachers being trained may see
t,,1 -, Hin n III tbo onnnootinnc mad o